When something is new or happening with us for the first time, it’s always so rewarding. Why does that happen? And why doesn’t it happen often?

This week, while travelling from Bangalore to my home town, this question hit me. And took me down my own rabbit hole.

As it happened, the gentleman sitting next to me was perhaps sitting in a flight for the first time. There are lots of Indians who can now afford flights and are taking to the skies for the first time.

Naturally, this person was amazed with the experience. He was clicking photos and videos, wanted to experience the onboard services, and so on. Sitting next to him, I was keenly observing him.

Towards the end of the flight, every passenger’s attention turned to him. As it turned out, this person couldn’t hold his water and needed to visit the loo quite frequently and was getting up to go to the washroom.

He was reprimanded by the air hostess a couple of times for getting up from his seat while the seat belt sign was on.

What I found amazing was that he didn’t get offended by the air hostess. He took the reprimand in his stride and sat down the first time, attempting the feat again after a few minutes. In vain, for he was asked to sit down again.

Even then, he had a boyish smile on his face and he didn’t worry about it. As soon as the flight landed, he got up quickly and went over to the washroom. As we were getting out, he thanked me for letting him through (I was sitting on the aisle seat).

I left the plane with a smile on my face. I could relate this person’s experience to what a young child finds herself in when she experiences something for the first time.

The child is amazed and curious at the same time. She explores things and figures out what they mean by herself. She sometimes lands in trouble but continues to move ahead undeterred.

She is sometimes reprimanded by a parent or an elder, but doesn’t take it inversely. She rather checks herself and then does the right thing.

We, elders on the other hand, lose our curiosity after a few experiences and take everything with the familiarity of the known. We stop wondering at the small things. We take offence on minute things even if we aren’t in the right.

Our knowledge and ego perhaps stops us from experiencing life to the fullest and explore new things. Or to understand when to move forward or to check ourselves…

Maybe, we need to remind ourselves to not have our mind so full all the time!